Grandpa's Boy
by misspatchesmom
Summary: The youngest of the DiNozzo kids "runs away" to Grandpa Gibbs' house when he gets the short end of an overload of pranking. Tony and Ziva revert to investigative techniques to get to the root of the pranking. Part of the "You Complete Me" universe.
1. LJ Goes to Grandpa's House

Grandpa's Boy

 _LJ "runs away" to Gibbs' house when he gets in trouble for his siblings' pranks._

Chapter 1: LJ Goes to Grandpa's House

Seven year old LJ DiNozzo was angry. His brother and sisters had been picking on him mercilessly. Anthony had pranked him twice in the past day and Tali had managed to pull three pranks on him. Even Rivka and Beth had figured out a way to get him in trouble with Ima and Abba. Every time, every single time, Ima had made him clean up the results of the pranks. He had vacuumed the carpet in his room three times in the past two days, cleaned the entire bathroom that he shared with Rivka and Beth, and had to help Ima clean the kitchen floor after Anthony's latest prank.

"But, it's not fair, Ima. Anthony is the one who rigged the juice container to fall. I just tried to pick it up from the counter and pour my juice. Anthony left the cap loose on purpose so I would spill the juice." LJ tried to explain to Ima why Anthony should be helping her clean the floor and not him.

Ziva gave her son the Ima glare, "LJ, you were the one who was touching the juice when it spilled. I did not see Anthony in the room. That means you must help clean up the mess."

LJ had enough, "IMA, I DID NOT SPILL THE JUICE ON PURPOSE. ANTHONY HAS BEEN PRANKING ME ALL WEEK. ALL OF THEM HAVE. I HATE THEM ALL!"

"Leroy Jackson DiNozzo, you do not raise your voice to me. I asked you to help clean up the spilled juice. End of discussion." Ziva was losing her patience, not wanting to have an argument with the boy. "We are almost done. Please be quiet and just help me with this. Then you can go."

LJ grumbled to himself as he wiped the cabinets with the rag his Ima had given him. He threw the rag in the sink and mumbled to himself, "You love them better than me." Ziva looked at her son. She tried to hug him, and he pushed her away. "No, Ima, go away."

LJ realized almost immediately that his tone and words were disrespectful, "I'm sorry, Ima. I'm just angry at Tali, Anthony, Rivka and Beth."

Ziva sighed, "Apology accepted. Please go to your room and calm down. Then we can talk about what happened."

"Yes, Ima." LJ knew better than to continue arguing with her. He headed to his room dejectedly, hoping that he would have some peace from his siblings. He opened his door and a cup of water dumped on him. He heard giggling in the bathroom, and knew that his sisters were behind the prank.

"SHIT, SHIT, SHIT. QUIT YOUR DAMN PRANKS." LJ yelled into the hallway and slammed his door. He heard the gasps of his sisters and brother. He slammed the bathroom door and flung himself face down on his bed.

He heard the door to his room open, and without looking, he yelled, "GO THE HELL AWAY. LEAVE ME ALONE."

"LJ, that kind of language is not acceptable, and you know it." Tony tried to keep his voice calm, hoping his son would calm down and stop shouting.

"NO. THIS IS NOT DAMN PICK ON LJ DAY! I CAN YELL IF I WANT." LJ kept his face down, and did not look at his father. "AND, NO, I DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT."

By this time, Ziva had also come into LJ's room. "We will talk about it after you have calmed down. Yelling, using curse words and disrespecting us is not acceptable." She and Tony turned to leave the room to give their youngest some time and space.

LJ lay on his bed, thinking about his day and his week. When had the family turned against him? Maybe he should leave. He got up and started packing some clothing into his large sport bag. He would go to Grandpa's house. Maybe Grandpa would let him live there and he wouldn't have to deal with the crap from his siblings. Ima and Abba would stop punishing him for things he didn't do.

As he zipped the bag, Abba came into the room. "Ready to talk?"

"No. I'm leaving. I'm going to Grandpa's and not coming back." LJ held up his bag to show his Abba.

"Okay. I'll take you there." Tony surprised LJ with his response. "Let me get my keys and tell Ima." LJ stared after his Abba leaving the room. He picked up his bag, shoved his stuffed lion inside, and went to get his coat and shoes by the front door.

Tony found Ziva in the kitchen. "LJ is running away. He's going to Gibbs' house. I told him that I would drive him over."

Ziva nodded, "I will call Abba and let him know what is happening. Good luck."

Tony found LJ by the front door, ready to go. He led the boy to his truck and motioned for him to get in. He started the engine and backed out of the driveway. He headed to Gibbs' house, not saying a word. LJ watched his father, waiting for him to say something, anything, instead of the silence.

Tony glanced sideways at his son. He would let LJ be the first to speak, if he chose. LJ glared at his Abba and then slouched down, looking out the window as the truck turned into Grandpa's driveway.

"I'll walk you to the door, but then you are on your own. Okay with that?" Tony was giving LJ an out, if he wanted it.

"Sure. Grandpa will be glad to see me." LJ picked up his bag and walked to the front door with his Abba behind him. LJ opened the door, and Gibbs was sitting in his recliner, watching a movie. "Hi, Grandpa. I'm having issues with everybody in my house. Can I stay here for a while, please?"

Gibbs turned to see LJ next to his chair and Tony in the entryway. He nodded to Tony, "Sure, LJ. You can stay with me. Take your things up to your bedroom and then come back down."

"Okay, Grandpa." LJ climbed the steps as Gibbs motioned to Tony to step out onto the porch.

"I'll let you know what he says. Are the other kids aware that he left?"

Tony shrugged, "Ziva has probably told them that he is coming here. Maybe we can get to the bottom of all this pranking and figure out what is really going on with all of them. Thanks, Dad."

Tony turned to leave as Gibbs went back inside. He had just sat down in the chair again when LJ came down the steps. "Did Abba leave?"

"Yep. Said he had some things to get done at home." Gibbs motioned to the other recliner, indicating that LJ should have a seat. "Just you and me here."

The pair sat in silence, watching the western that Gibbs had been half watching while waiting for LJ to arrive after he talked to Ziva. She and Tony were aware of the pranks and that LJ had been on the receiving end for several days. They figured that getting LJ away from the others would help them get to the root of the pranking with the other kids.

The movie ended, and Gibbs stood up. "Need to get us some dinner. You wanna cook or clean up?" He looked at LJ for a response.

"I'll clean up. What are we having?" LJ was hungry and hoped Grandpa would make cowboy steaks.

Gibbs looked in his fridge and freezer, "Got some ground beef and vegetables. How about meatloaf and salad?"

LJ shrugged; he would eat almost anything his Grandpa cooked. "Sounds good to me."

Gibbs smiled, "I'll make the meatloaf and then we can make the salad together. You can rinse the tomatoes and lettuce while I get the meat ready."

LJ took the vegetables from Grandpa and carried them to the sink to rinse. He placed the tomatoes on the cutting board and tore the lettuce leaves into two bowls. Gibbs handed him the serrated knife to cut the tomatoes. "Remember your knife safety."

LJ nodded and deftly cut the core from the tomatoes and then cut each one into wedges and placed the pieces on the lettuce in the bowls. He put the knife in the sink, grabbed the dish rag and cleaned the knife, resting it in the dish drainer, point down. Grandpa smiled at him and nodded, "Very good, LJ!"

LJ smiled back at Grandpa; Gibbs figured it was probably the first time the kid had smiled in a few days. His grin was pure DiNozzo; this boy was definitely Tony's kid!

The two worked in silence to prepare the meal, and as Gibbs took the meatloaf from the oven, LJ set two places at the table. He put Grandpa's coffee cup next to the coffee maker and started making the coffee. He put a glass on the table with his own milk. He put the salads on the table as Gibbs put a slab of meatloaf on each plate and put the plates on the table.

The two ate in silence. LJ wanted to talk to Grandpa about the mess at home, but he wanted to enjoy his dinner as well. Grandpa did not need to hear all the details over dinner. Gibbs watched LJ, sensing that the boy wanted to talk. Gibbs remained silent; LJ was like his parents. He would talk when he was ready, not a minute sooner. They finished the meal and LJ cleared the table, taking the dishes to the sink. He washed the dishes, utensils, his glass and the pan from the meatloaf, setting them all to dry in the dish rack. When he finished with the dishes, he wiped the table and counters. Finally, he dried the dishes and put them away. Gibbs watched it all in silence, pretending to work on the crossword puzzle in the newspaper.


	2. DiNozzos Minus One

Chapter 2: DiNozzos Minus One

Ziva called her family to the dinner table. Tali, Anthony, Rivka and Beth came from various places in the house to eat their meal. Tony had moved the seventh chair away from the dining room table; he and Ziva sat on the ends and there were two children on each side.

The kids noticed the lack of the seventh chair, but did not say anything. The family ate in silence, with Tony or Ziva occasionally breaking the quiet to ask a question of one of the children or to ask for a dish to be passed. All of the kids were getting fidgety, wondering who was going to break the silence and ask about LJ. Anthony exchanged glances with each of his sisters. He looked at his plate and at his parents.

Rivka finally spoke up, "Where's LJ? Why is he missing?"

Tony and Ziva met each other's eyes and Ziva replied, "LJ is not here. He moved out."

"WHAT?" Tali looked at her Ima. "Where did he go?"

"But he lives HERE, Ima." Beth looked worried. How could Ima and Abba let LJ just leave?

"I miss the little pest." Anthony added. Tony shot him a look, and Anthony felt his Ima giving him 'the look.' Maybe he should rephrase his comment. Before he could say anything else, Rivka looked at her brother.

"That was not nice, Anthony. LJ is sometimes a pain, but not always." She felt the need to defend her younger brother. She turned to Ima, "Did you send him away because he used bad words?"

"He used bad words and he slammed doors. He was mean to Ima and to Abba." Beth added. "Did you send him to Juvenile Detention? Like Sammy across the street? He did bad stuff and now he is locked up. That's what his brother said on the bus."

Tony spoke up, "LJ is not in trouble like Sammy. He is taking a time out from the family. His behavior today was unacceptable, and he knows that. He did apologize to Ima when he was disrespectful to her."

"Does anyone know why LJ was so angry and upset today?" Ziva added, looking around the table at her four older children. "Is there anything any of you can tell Abba and me about it?"

Tony and Ziva watched the four, each one of the kids getting a bit more uncomfortable with the conversation. Tali and Anthony exchanged looks and Rivka and Beth fidgeted with their hands.

Beth squirmed in her seat, looking at her twin. Rivka looked down at her hands, not making eye contact with anyone. "We dumped water on him with a prank," Beth confessed. She looked at Abba with tears in her eyes, "But we didn't mean to make him leave."

"Why did you do the prank?" Tony asked calmly. "Did LJ do something to you?"

"No, Abba. We thought it would be funny." Rivka looked at her father. "It was JUST water, and Anthony did it last Sunday."

"To LJ," added Beth. "Tali did it also, to LJ. I guess we all dumped water on LJ. Oh." She realized that LJ had been pranked with the water three times in five days.

Ziva looked at her youngest daughter, "And what did you just figure out?"

"That LJ got water dumped on him three times in five days. Maybe that is too much?"

Anthony spoke up next, "I short-sheeted his bed and dumped the water and left the juice bottle cap loose. I guess three pranks in one day are a bit much. I was the one who put the glitter on his ceiling fan too. I would be angry if he did that to me."

"I put soap on his toothbrush." Rivka mumbled. "And I took his lion and hid it."

All eyes turned to Tali, who had not said a word yet. "I put glue on his desk and I was the one who put the confetti balloon in his room. And, yes, I dumped water on him. I need to get the rubber snake out of his bed…"

"Are we in trouble, Ima? Abba?" Four pairs of eyes looked at the parents, wondering what punishment would be given.


	3. LJ Comes Clean

Chapter 3: LJ Comes Clean

Gibbs continued to watch LJ cleaning up in the kitchen. The boy took the trash bag out to the outside garbage bin, and then replaced the bag with a fresh one. He sat down across from Grandpa and sighed.

"Something on your mind?" Gibbs continued to look at the paper. LJ sat quietly, contemplating what he would tell Grandpa. He was pretty sure Ima and Abba had told Grandpa about his shouting and using curse words. He would bet Grandpa also knew about the disrespect to his Ima and Abba.

"I was bad, Grandpa." LJ looked at his Grandpa; his chocolate brown eyes so like his mother's. Gibbs looked at his youngest grandson, seeing both of his parents. LJ had Tony's build, facial features and grin. He had Ziva's brown eyes and dark curly hair. Like both of his parents, he had a stubborn streak a mile wide. Gibbs nodded at the boy to continue.

LJ looked at the floor and continued speaking, "I was disrespectful to both Ima and Abba. I used curse words to Abba. I yelled at Ima. I slammed doors and yelled curse words at my brother and sisters. And, I told Ima that I hate them. Ima got upset when I accused her of loving them better than me, and when she tried to hug me, I pushed her away.

"Grandpa, I feel bad about being mean to Ima and Abba. Even to my brother and sisters, but they made me angry. They keep pranking me and then I get in trouble with Ima and Abba and have to clean up the mess. I am still angry at them."

Gibbs looked at LJ, who had tears in his eyes, "Let's go downstairs and sand the boat." He stood up and motioned for LJ to follow. The two went down to the basement and Gibbs handed LJ the sanding block. "With the grain," he said softly. LJ started sanding. The two worked in silence for about half an hour.

"Grandpa, do parents love some of their kids more than others?" LJ spoke out of the blue.

"No, LJ. But they do love each child differently. For example, I love your Abba as a son. He is a good man, and he cares about people. I love your Ima as a daughter. In some ways, I think I used to be easier on her than on your Abba and Uncle Tim. I think a parent loves his or her children differently as they grow. As each one becomes an adult, they gain certain skills and have certain traits that others recognize in them. Your Ima is a very strong person. She had to learn to love and be loved so that she and your Abba could make a family of their own."

"So, Ima and Abba could love Tali because she plays the piano really well and she learns languages fast? And they could love Anthony because he is good at basketball? And Rivka because she is smart about computers? And Beth because she likes to help people?" LJ was starting to see the big picture.

"And, what about you?"

"Do they love me because I am good at art and painting and woodworking?" LJ was proud of his artwork. He liked creating art for others.

"There ya go. Remember, too, that they love each of you because they created you. Why do you think the others were pranking you so much?" Gibbs gently questioned the boy, not trying to lead him to any conclusions, but hoping he would see things for himself.

"I don't know; wait, maybe because of the prank I pulled on all of them at Christmas when I switched the tags on the presents?" LJ thought some more. "Maybe because I put the fake bugs in the Valentines' chocolates? Um, I DID put the trick candles on the twins' birthday cakes too... but that was with Anthony!

"Could it be because everybody came to my art show and watched me get awards and they were jealous? I asked Ima to put all of the awards on the fridge; she put one and then I put all of the rest... I took down Beth's and Rivka's gymnastics awards and Tali's award from her German class.

"Or maybe when I told Ima about Anthony putting the air horn behind Tali's door? He asked me to help him set it up, but he got mad at me when I told Ima who did it. It really scared her and she dropped all of Tali's clean clothes on the floor. I helped her pick them up.

"Tali got mad at me when I told Anthony about the prank she tried to pull on him. She put fake bugs in his cereal one morning. I thought he would eat the bugs and get sick."

LJ thought some more, and looked at Grandpa, "I guess I am a bad person." He hung his head and wiped at his eyes.

Gibbs drew the boy into a hug. "No, LJ, you aren't a bad person. You did some things that are not acceptable behavior and made some bad choices. If you truly were a bad person, you wouldn't feel badly about disrespecting your Ima and Abba and yelling at your family. I love you no matter what you have done. That doesn't mean I condone what you did, but it does not change my love for you. Do you understand?"

LJ sniffled and nodded his head. "I love you, Grandpa. Thank you for loving me."


	4. Confessions

Chapter 4: Confessions

All four DiNozzo children looked at their parents waiting for the response and to find out how much trouble they were in. Ima's face was unreadable, but her eyes were fiery. Abba also was unreadable, but he had his lips pressed together.

Ziva motioned to Tony to confer in the kitchen, "You four stay here while Abba and I talk in the kitchen. We will be back soon." Tony followed Ziva to the kitchen.

"I feel like we are in interrogation, Zi. We do have to come up with a suitable punishment. First, I think we should have each of them write out a statement, or list of what things they did. What do you think?"

"I like that idea of having them write out a 'confession' each. Maybe by writing down all of what they have done, they can see how many pranks they all pulled on LJ. We could have each of them read their statements out loud to the others. Then, I think we should get their input on what type and how much punishment."

Tony nodded, "We think too much alike sometimes. Still an awesome team, huh?" He pulled Ziva to him and kissed her. She smiled at him and returned the kiss.

"Let us go back to interrogation. I will get the paper and pens for them." Ziva went to her office and grabbed several pads of lined paper and pens and pencils. The couple then returned to the dining room and explained what they expected from each of the children.

"We want you to write out all of the things: pranks, conversations, altercations, teasing, and even good things that went down, in the past two weeks with you and LJ. Just write about yourself and LJ, not the others. Any questions?" Tony looked around at the children as Ziva handed them the notepads and writing implements.

"How many words? Can we make a list instead of paragraphs?" Rivka spoke up. Ziva had to suppress a smile; Rivka sounded as though she were completing a writing assignment in school.

"You may use whatever format gets it all on paper. A list is fine; paragraphs are fine; whatever you want. Please be honest and include everything, even if you think it might get you in more trouble. If I find out that you told a partial truth or lied, then that will be worse than admitting it all to start." Ziva was sure there were some pranks that she and Tony did not know about yet.

"Okay, Ima." Rivka started writing her list.

"On it, Ima." Tali and Anthony started on their writing. Beth nodded and took her pencil in hand.

Tony and Ziva cleared the remnants of dinner from the table and cleaned the kitchen. Tony made sure each child had water to drink if needed and checked on the kids periodically. He and Ziva both noticed how each of the children looked at the others writing out the confessions. When Anthony spotted that Tali was on her fifth sheet of paper, he sighed. He was on sheet number six. Even the twins had written multiple sheets. No wonder LJ had been angry at them!

After about thirty minutes of writing, all the children had completed the task. Tali called her parents from the kitchen. "Ima, Abba, we're done writing."

Tony and Ziva came back into the dining room, looking at the piles of pages in front of each child. This might take a while to read through each list, but they were determined that the kids realize just how much LJ had to put up with over the past two weeks. Maybe they would realize that the pranking had gotten out of hand.

"Now each of you will read your list to everyone. I want you all to listen to what your siblings have to say and to their lists. There should be no discussion of the lists among the listeners. Is that clear?" Tony sat at the head of the table and Ziva sat at the opposite end as usual. The kids all nodded that they understood.

"We will start with Beth, then Rivka, followed by Anthony, and finally Tali." Ziva took a fifth pad of paper and a pencil to make notes. She and Tony met their eyes; still in synch as a team! "Abba or I may ask you questions or for more details as we go, but we are the only ones allowed to ask questions. You may begin, Beth."

"Ok, Ima." Beth was a bit nervous, but she started reading her list. She had pranked LJ at least three times each day over the two weeks in question. She had taken his lion twice; tied his pants legs in knots on all of his pajamas, dumped the water on him with Rivka, hid his tooth brush; put the rubber snake in his bed, and a bunch of other pranks. The one both Tony and Ziva considered the worst of the list was when she admitted to being the one who locked LJ outside when it was his turn to take out the trash after dinner. After she finished her list, she sighed, "I guess LJ had a good reason to be angry with me."

Tony reminded Rivka that she was next. She started reading her list which included dumping the water with Beth, helping Anthony with the glitter on the ceiling fan, hiding LJ's lion in the family room, putting soap on LJ's tooth brush, and dumping water on LJ while he was sleeping to make it look as though he had wet himself. She admitted to being the one who had put the brick in his backpack, causing them all to have to rush to the bus stop when Ziva had to empty the pack to determine why it was so heavy.

Anthony looked at his Ima and Abba. He looked at his papers and started reading. He had already admitted to dumping water and sand on LJ, short sheeting his bed, and leaving the cap loose on the juice bottle, and added several other pranks to the list. Ziva had to maintain her composure when he admitted to putting the live ants in LJ's bed, and using food scraps in the outer pockets of LJ's back pack to get the neighbor's dog to chase LJ. He had put the glitter on the ceiling fan and put a whoopee cushion under LJ's mattress. "I guess I went too far, Ima. I would be very angry if LJ did all this to me, Abba!"

Tali slid down in her seat; her list was almost as long as Anthony's and she had really not intended to make LJ's life miserable. "Sit up, Tali, please, and read your list." Ziva gave her oldest a stern look. Tali started reading: she had dumped water on him, glued his papers to his desk, put the rubber snake in his bed, hung a confetti filled balloon behind his door so that it popped when he opened the door, put ice in his bed, tied his shoe laces together at the bus stop, hung a fake spider over his bed, put a dead bird in his underwear drawer, and put neon green nail polish on his toes and toenails when he was sleeping, among other things. She admitted to being the one who had put chili powder on LJ's tooth brush and also working with Anthony to put the fake flies in his cereal one morning.

All four realized that LJ had good reason to be angry and miserable. That he had held it inside for two weeks before exploding was their partly fault. He had yelled at them because of the pranks and his anger.

Tony spoke to all four, "Next, we have to determine appropriate consequences for your actions and behaviors. Some of that may entail punishments." All four looked nervously at both of their parents.


	5. LJ Makes a Plan

Chapter 5: LJ Makes a Plan

LJ and Gibbs sanded the boat for another half hour in silence. LJ yawned a few times, and Gibbs suggested that they call it a night. LJ put his sanding block away and walked up the basement stairs. "Grandpa, may I have some milk before bed, please?"

"Yes, you may." Gibbs took out two glasses and poured them both some milk. LJ smiled at his Grandpa; it was nice not having to worry about being pranked and have some quiet in the house.

"Thank you, Grandpa. I am glad we talked. In the morning, would you help me make a plan to apologize to my family and get along with them better, please?" LJ wanted to hear Grandpa's ideas and have some help making a plan to get along with the others.

"Sure thing, kiddo." Gibbs ruffled LJ's hair, "Now go get ready for bed, please." LJ rinsed his glass in the sink and put it in the dish drainer. He went upstairs to get ready for bed.

Gibbs sent a text to Ziva and Tony, ' _Making good progress on this end. He realizes he acted in anger and is making a plan to apologize and get along with the others better. Hope you are having success on your end. Dad_ '

Gibbs locked up downstairs and shut the lights. He headed upstairs as LJ called out, "I'm ready for story time, Grandpa!" Gibbs headed to the boy's bedroom. He smiled when he saw LJ clutching his lion tightly. Gibbs dimmed the light and sat in the chair next to the bed. He and LJ took turns with the story, until Gibbs looked over and saw his grandson sleeping on his side with the lion hugged to his chest.

"Good night, LJ. I love you." Gibbs placed a kiss on the boy's forehead. He turned the light off and moved quietly to his room. Once in his room, he checked his phone to see if Ziva or Tony had replied.

Ziva: ' _working on it_ '

Tony: ' _gonna be a long night_ '

~LJ~

Gibbs awoke to the smell of bacon and eggs from downstairs. He checked LJ's room and saw the bed was made and LJ's pajamas were folded neatly on the chair. The lion was propped against the pillows, surveying his 'kingdom.'

Gibbs went downstairs and saw LJ putting bacon and eggs on two plates. There were two glasses of orange juice on the table and his coffee mug was next to a full pot of coffee. He smiled to himself. He and LJ made a good pair; they knew each other's likes and dislikes in food and often did not need many words to communicate.

"Good morning, LJ. That breakfast sure smells great." LJ looked at his Grandpa and grinned, a pure DiNozzo grin, and put the plates on the table. He turned to pour Gibbs' coffee.

"Good morning, Grandpa. Breakfast is served!" LJ put the coffee at Grandpa's place and sat down at his own place. "I hope you are hungry; I made us a big breakfast for all the thinking I have to do today to make my plan!"

The two ate in silence, and when both were finished, Gibbs cleared the table and cleaned up. LJ went to the cabinet in the hallway and got out paper and pencils to write his thoughts and formulate his plan. Gibbs was impressed; the kid had both his parents' tenacity and determination.

Gibbs refilled his coffee and sat down with the newspaper as LJ jotted some thoughts on the paper. Neither one spoke as LJ wrote. Several times he noted something and then made a star next to the item. A few things he crossed out and reworded. He had created six sections on one of the sheets and labeled the sections one for each of his family.

Under 'Abba,' he had written 'apologize for cursing, apologize for being disrespectful, thank Abba for loving me, and tell Abba that I love him.'

Under 'Ima,' the list included 'apologize for cursing, apologize for being disrespectful, thank Ima for loving me, tell Ima that I love her, and do my chores without being told and without complaining.'

Under 'Tali,' LJ had written 'apologize for cursing, apologize for being disrespectful, apologize for pranks that I have done to her, thank Tali for loving me, tell Tali that I love her, and give more compliments when Tali does something nice for me.'

For Anthony, 'apologize for cursing, apologize for being disrespectful, apologize for pranks that I have pulled on him, thank Anthony for loving me, tell Anthony that I love him, and give more compliments when Anthony does something nice for me.'

For Rivka, his list was similar to the others, 'apologize for cursing, apologize for being disrespectful, apologize for pranks that I have pulled on her, thank Rivka for loving me, tell Rivka that I love her, and give more compliments when Rivka does something nice for me. Also, do my part in keeping our shared bathroom clean and nice.'

Beth's list was the same as Rivka's, 'apologize for cursing, apologize for being disrespectful, apologize for pranks that I have pulled on her, thank Beth for loving me, tell Beth that I love her, and give more compliments when Beth does something nice for me. Also, do my part in keeping our shared bathroom clean and nice.'

On a separate sheet, LJ had made a list titled "LJ's rules for life.' Gibbs chuckled to himself when he saw the title. This kid had to be Gibbs' mini-me!

1\. All of Grandpa's rules are good rules to follow.

2\. Be polite to everyone, even if I am angry.

3\. Tell family that I love them at least once each day.

4\. Try not to act in anger; it usually hurts me more than I want.

5\. Compromise when I can't agree completely.

6\. Respect Ima, Abba, Tali, Anthony, Rivka, Beth and everyone else in my family.

7\. Give compliments freely and criticism wisely.

8\. Laugh at least once per day with each one of my family.

9\. Always have my family's six.

"Grandpa, what do you think?" LJ looked at Gibbs expectantly.

"I may have to take some of your rules for my own. I like these! LJ, I am so proud of how you have turned this negative situation around and made something positive out of it. You are wise beyond your years, Probie." LJ grinned and hugged his Grandpa; being called 'Probie' was the best compliment he could have from Grandpa!


	6. Let the Punishment Fit the Crime

Chapter 6: Let the Punishment Fit the Crime

Ziva looked around the table at her four older children. Each one had given their list of pranks and arguments with LJ over the past two weeks. She had taken some notes as they read their lists, mostly of pranks that she did not know about, and of pranks she considered potentially dangerous.

Tony caught her eye, and motioned towards the kitchen, "Time for another conference?" He had some concerns about several of the confessed pranks in that they could have become dangerous.

Ziva nodded and stood with her notepad in hand. "Abba and I need to talk again. We will be back shortly." The kids all nodded and looked down at the table. No one wanted to make eye contact with any of the others.

The parents went into the kitchen to confer. Ziva spoke first, "I did not realize there had been that many pranks directed at LJ. I made note of several that were potentially dangerous. I think we will need to address each of those separately." She handed her list to Tony, who read it over.

"I agree about these being potentially dangerous. I would also like to add the general category of putting substances on LJ's toothbrush. Do we want to keep going tonight, or send them to bed with the stipulation that we will be continuing this first thing after breakfast?" Tony checked the clock on the microwave: 2122; it was already past the kids' bedtimes.

"I vote to send them to bed now. If we get too much off their routines, we will be the ones suffering come Monday morning." Ziva also thought that she and Tony needed some time to mull over their responses to the children's admissions of guilt. Tony nodded his agreement, and the couple went back to the dining room.

"We've decided that it's too late to get into the punishment phase right now. Each one of you will get ready for bed when we finish in a few minutes. Be thinking about what consequences and punishments would be fair in this situation. We will all continue this discussion right after breakfast tomorrow. Plan to get up and get going by 0800." Each of the kids looked at Abba and nodded. Tali thought that having to wait until the morning to determine any punishment was going to be almost like torture, but she wisely kept her thoughts to herself. No need in making things worse.

"Please get ready for bed and Abba and I will be by your rooms in twenty minutes to say good night." Ziva watched as all four rose and headed to their rooms, not talking or making eye contact with each other. The only conversation they heard was when Anthony told Tali to use their shared bathroom first.

When Tali had finished in the bathroom, she knocked on the door to Anthony's room, "I'm done. Your turn."

Anthony came over to the door, "We are so screwed, Tals. Ima and Abba have all night to think of ways to punish us."

"Tell me about it! I probably won't sleep much worrying about this. It's like torture!" Tali sighed. "Good night, Anthony."

"Night, sis."

Beth and Rivka quickly got their pajamas on and brushed their teeth. "Beth, Ima and Abba will have all night to think up ways to punish us. I wish we could just get this part over and done with!"

"Yeah, I know. Bet we don't sleep a lot tonight." Beth agreed with her twin.

Tony and Ziva, meanwhile, were going over Ziva's notes and adding details that one or the other had picked up. Ziva drew arrows to indicate the pranks they felt needed to be addressed individually. Ziva glanced at the clock and noted the twenty minutes was almost up. "Time to say good night to them."

Both parents went to Rivka and Beth's room first. "We still love you, even though you have made some bad choices." Tony hugged each of the girls.

Ziva hugged her daughters, "We will always love you, no matter what. Good night, Rivka. Good night, Beth."

"Laila tov, Rivka and Beth," Tony smiled at his girls.

"Night, Ima and Abba."

The parents moved to Anthony's room. He was already in his bed with the lights off. Ziva sat on the side of the bed. "Laila tov, Anthony. I love you." She hugged her son.

"Night Ima." Anthony looked at Abba, "night, Abba."

"Good night, Anthony. I love you no matter what." Tony hugged his son. As his parents left the room, Anthony pulled his Ferrari bear from under the bed. He hugged the bear close.

Tali's room was their last stop. Tony hugged Tali, "I love you, Tals. Laila tov." Tali hugged her Abba, feeling the warmth and security that she always felt in his hugs. Everything would be okay.

Ziva hugged her oldest, "Laila tov, Tali. I love you."

"Good night, Ima and Abba." Tali pulled her covers up to her chin and rolled to her side, snuggling with Kelev. She hoped her parents didn't see the well loved stuffed dog in her arms.

~LJ~

At 0815, Tony called the four to breakfast. He and Ziva had made pancakes, sausage and a fruit smoothie for each as breakfast. The kids filed in to the dining room, noticing that their written 'confessions' were still at their places at the table.

The family ate breakfast in silence; the only conversation was between Tony and Ziva about the weather and other trivial topics. All of the children were waiting for the next phase of the discussion about the pranks. While none of them were looking forward to being punished or having to deal with the consequences of their actions, sitting and waiting to hear what would be doled out was the absolute worst thing. Tali and Rivka cleared the breakfast dishes when all were done eating. Tali rinsed and handed the items to Rivka to load in the dishwasher.

"Tali, what do you think they are going to do to punish us?" Rivka looked at her older sister. "I didn't sleep much at all last night."

"I don't know, Riv. I didn't get much sleep either, and I know Anthony was tossing and turning in his room. I can't remember ever getting into this much trouble before, but remember when we all got in trouble for putting the Kool Aid powder in the next door neighbor's sprinklers?"

Rivka nodded, "I thought we would never get done with taking care of their lawn that summer. The first day, when Abba made us cut the grass with scissors was pure torture. I still have nightmares about blades of grass!"

The girls went back to the dining room, taking their seats with their siblings. Tony looked to Ziva and she nodded to him to speak first. "Ima and I discussed what might be an appropriate punishment after you all were in bed last night. We both feel that you should have some input into what and how much that punishment should be. We also want you to realize that even if some of the pranks were harmless, there are also consequences to your choices.

"Some of the pranks were dangerous, or could have become dangerous. Some could have also resulted in injuries to LJ or others. Both Ima and I feel that we need to address those actions separately and that there should be another punishment for them."

Ziva continued, "What we want you to do now is to write down what actions you think are dangerous or might have become dangerous. Then, think of ways that you could be held accountable for choosing to do them. Also, think of what would be appropriate for all of the pranking in general since it got way out of hand. Abba and I are going to start the laundry while you write. You may also talk to each other, but only about what might have been dangerous, the pranking in general, and what consequences would be appropriate.

"Do any of you have questions?" Ziva looked at her children. She could tell all four were not happy campers, but they needed to understand how they had pushed LJ to his limit. All four avoided eye contact with their parents and picked up pens and pencils to start writing.

Ziva and Tony left the four at the table, writing. They moved to the laundry room to start the laundry chores for the day. As Ziva sorted clothes for washer loads, Tony went to all of the kids' rooms to check for any other clothing that needed washing and to get used towels and wash cloths from the bathrooms. Ziva started a load of lightweight items (underwear and socks) as Tony tossed the towels into a pile of towels to be washed.

The pair went to the kitchen, listening at the doorway to the dining room as their offspring discussed the dangerous pranks.

"I guess the live ants were not a good choice." Anthony regretted putting them in LJ's bed. LJ had been bit by several ants and had huge welts on his legs and back for several days. "The food scraps to get the dog to chase LJ was a stupid idea, wasn't it?"

"LJ could have been bit by that mean dog. I saw him running and the dog chasing him. He almost fell twice. It could've been bad if he had. I think you should apologize to LJ for that. Plus, whatever Ima and Abba say about punishment." Beth had been scared for LJ when she saw the dog chasing him.

"I guess I shouldn't have locked him outside; that was mean and could have been dangerous. When I turned out the light, I didn't think about that he couldn't see and could trip and get hurt." Beth continued, looking at her siblings.

Rivka looked at her twin, "Maybe you should have to take LJ's turn to take out the trash for the next month. Then you would remember that it could have been dangerous for him after you locked him out and turned off the light.

"I shouldn't have put the soap on his tooth brush; it could have made LJ sick. I guess the brick in the backpack wasn't as funny as I thought. Ima got angry and we all almost missed the bus that day. And, it was heavy. LJ could have been hurt just picking it up."

Tali spoke up next, "Rivka, maybe you should have to help LJ carry his books for a week? And I think we all learned a lesson about messing with people's toothbrushes. That is just not a good idea in general.

"I guess the two stupid things I did would have to be the dead bird in his underwear drawer and tying his shoelaces together at the bus stop. The dead bird could have had some disease or made LJ sick. And he could have fallen and been hurt when he tripped because of the laces tied together."

"Those were some stupid choices, Tals. I guess you realized the same thing the rest of us did. While the pranks may have been funny when we thought of them, actually carrying them out was not the best choice to make. LJ or anyone else could have been hurt. Even seriously hurt or have to go to the ER.

"I guess we all owe LJ a big apology. I don't blame him for exploding in anger at us and wanting to leave. I hope he will forgive each of us." Anthony looked at his siblings with worry in his eyes. He didn't want LJ hating him or not wanting him around. "I really do love him, you know!"

Tony and Ziva made eye contact and smiled at each other. They high-fived; sometimes they got this parenting thing right! They were about to go into the dining room when Tali spoke up again.

"I think we should all apologize to LJ to his face, and we should each create a list of things that we admire or like about LJ to let him know that we love him. When I think about the awards he has won already for his artwork, I am proud to call him my brother. He needs to know that!

"I also think that as a general punishment, we should each be grounded for two weeks, the same amount of time we all picked on LJ. We have to come right home from school, unless we have some activity that is already in place, such as my piano lessons. No tv, no movies, and no going to friends' houses. What do you think?" Tali looked at each of her siblings, who nodded their agreement.

"I think we should offer to do LJ's chores for a week as well." Anthony realized that he and the others had created more chores for LJ when Ima and Abba had made LJ clean up after the pranks. "I like the idea of writing a letter to LJ to tell him how proud and honored I am to be his brother. He needs to know that we love him."

Beth and Rivka agreed with Anthony. "I'll go let Ima and Abba know we are ready to talk about the punishment and consequences," Beth offered.

"No need." Ziva said as she and Tony came into the dining room. "We overheard your discussion and both Abba and I agree with the ideas you shared with each other."

Tony added, "We are proud of you four for owning up to the poor choices you have made and for discussing what would be appropriate consequences without being selfish or blaming the others. You are all responsible for what happened with LJ. Even though your pranks pushed him to anger, he did react in anger and made some bad choices himself. LJ is not guilt free in all of this."

"Now, before we call Grandpa to bring LJ home, please work on your letter to him individually and think about what you are going to say to him as well." Ziva hugged each of her children, followed by Tony giving each one a hug.

All four had tears in their eyes. "Abba, I have always liked your hugs. I have always felt safe and warm when you hug me. I remember feeling scared and alone when I first met you and when you hugged me, it felt so good!" Tali grinned at her Abba. Tony wiped at his eyes, and Ziva turned away to hide her grin and tears.


	7. Resolution (Got Your Six)

Chapter 7: Resolution (Got Your Six)

The four DiNozzos each wrote a letter to LJ and each one put it in an envelope with LJ's name on it. As they finished the letters, Tali suggested that each of them also write a letter to Ima and Abba. The letter would be an apology and an affirmation of love for their parents. The other three grinned and got to work on the second letters. Since Ima and Abba were in the laundry room when Tali made the suggestion, the letters would be a surprise for their parents.

Tali finished her letter to her parents, and then, without saying anything, wrote letters to Anthony, Rivka and Beth and sealed them in envelopes. She was grinning to herself when Anthony looked at her when he had finished his letter to Ima and Abba. Anthony thought to himself that he should let Tali know how much her smiles had always made him happy. He grinned to himself as he started writing letters to each of his sisters.

Rivka and Beth finished their letters about the same time. Rivka saw her brother and older sister grinning and turned to her twin, "I love you, Beth and I'm glad you're my twin!" She hugged Beth as Tony and Ziva came back into the room.

All four kids were grinning, and Ziva and Tony shared a look. Kids smiling about punishment and consequences? Something had to have gone right! Tony smiled at Ziva and she returned the grin.

"LJ and Grandpa will be here in about fifteen minutes. We will all have lunch and then talk together." Ziva looked at her son and daughters. "Grandpa is going to stay for lunch, since we were supposed to have dinner with him tonight any way."

"Okay, Ima." Anthony grinned at his Ima. "I have one thing to finish up and then I will help you get lunch ready." Anthony had just finished his letter to Beth and needed to put it in an envelope with her name on it.

Beth and Rivka looked at Abba and grinned, "We will help you with the laundry while Ima and Anthony get lunch ready." Tali grinned at them all and nodded. Now for her part.

"I will put the pads and pencils and paper away, and set the table, Ima and Abba." Tali started gathering the writing supplies to take back to Ima's office and put away. She hoped her siblings could keep their parents occupied and out of the dining room so that she could put the letters at each person's place at the table. She also quickly wrote a note to Grandpa, telling him how much she loved him and appreciated that he was her Grandpa.

~LJ~

Gibbs called out to LJ, "Are you almost ready to go?" LJ had gone upstairs to pack his bag and make sure his room was tidied before he headed home.

"Almost, Grandpa. I just have to put my lion in the bag and zip it up." LJ was also finishing a letter he had written to his Ima and Abba, the last of the six he had written that day. The others were already tucked in one of the pockets in his bag, sealed in envelopes with the recipient's name on the front.

He tucked the letter to his parents in the last envelope, sealing it and slipping it into his bag. He picked up his lion, and started to stuff him in the bag, but changed his mind. He would carry the lion separately. Maybe it would remind him to tell Grandpa just how much he loved that lion, and the man who had given him the lion. Grandpa would understand.

Gibbs watched the boy come down the stairs with his bag in one hand and his lion in the other. He smiled at LJ, thinking that this kid was one very special boy. LJ's lion had the look of a favorite toy that was well loved. Gibbs had bought the toy on a whim for LJ's first birthday. The boy had taken the lion almost everywhere with him since.

The two walked out to Gibbs' truck and got in silently. As they headed to the DiNozzo house, LJ spoke up. "Grandpa, thank you for letting me come over to your house. I love you, Grandpa and one reason that I love my lion so much is that you gave it to me. When I am sad, or scared, I like to hug my lion, because it makes me think of hugging you."

Gibbs rubbed a tear from his eye, and smiled at LJ. "Thank you, LJ. I love you, Probie!"

The pair arrived at the DiNozzo house to a sign on the front door, made by Rivka and Beth.

Welcome home, LJ. We love you.

LJ grinned and walked in the house. Anthony was walking from the family room and spotted LJ and Grandpa. He walked over and hugged his brother and then Grandpa. "I'm glad you are home, LJ. Hi, Grandpa." LJ put his bag down to take off his coat. Anthony picked up the bag and the lion, "I'll put this in your room for you, LJ."

"Thanks, Anthony." LJ shrugged his shoulders, not quite expecting Anthony to be so nice, but smiling at his brother. "Let me get something from the pocket first, please." LJ took the envelopes out and carried them to the dining room table. He saw eight places set and each one had a stack of envelopes. He added his own to the piles, grinning at Grandpa. "Looks like we all had the same idea, Grandpa. I guess us DiNozzos all think alike?"

Gibbs chuckled to himself as Ziva and Tali came from the kitchen with food dishes. "Hello, Abba." Ziva placed the pan of lasagna on the table and hugged Gibbs. Tali put the bowl of salad and the basket of garlic bread on the table, and hugged Grandpa.

"I'll go get Abba and the girls, Ima." Tali headed to call her sisters and Abba to the dinner table as Anthony came into the dining room. Tali returned followed by Tony, Rivka and Beth, and each family member took his or her seat at the table; Tony at the head, with Ziva on his right and Gibbs at the opposite end. Anthony and LJ were on the same side as Ziva and the three girls on the opposite side.

Gibbs looked around the table at the DiNozzos, "I am so proud of each one of you, and I am glad you are my family. We've got each other's six!" Ziva and Tony grinned and looked at each other. Ziva reached under the table and took Tony's hand in hers, giving it a squeeze. He squeezed back, and quietly said, "Ani ohev otcha, Zi."

Ziva smiled back, "Ani ohevet otach, Tony." She stood up, "Pass your plates for lasagna!" Anthony was the first to pass his plate, as the others laughed.

After the meal was through, Anthony and Beth cleared the dishes and loaded the dishwasher. "I'm glad LJ is home, Beth. I missed him."

"Me, too." Beth smiled at her older brother, "Now we just have to apologize to him."

They finished the chore as Ziva took the ice cream to the dining room to serve dessert. As she scooped the frozen treat into dishes, LJ spoke up.

"I want to tell each of you that I am sorry for being disrespectful and for shouting and using curse words. Ima and Abba, I love you. Tali, Anthony, Rivka and Beth, I love you. Will you all forgive me?" LJ looked at his family, and each one nodded. They all grinned at each other.

Tali spoke next, "LJ, I love you, and I forgive you. I hope you can forgive me, too." LJ nodded at her, and smiled. "I think we all realized that we are important to each other, and that we should stick together. We have each other's six, and I love you all. Ima and Abba, and everyone, I wrote you each a letter to let you know just how much you mean to me." Tali gestured to the piles of envelopes on the table, "It looks like several of us had the same idea!"

Anthony reached over and gave LJ a side hug. "I love you, LJ. Will you forgive me?" LJ nodded and gave his brother a grin. "I love my family," Anthony added.

"LJ, I'm very sorry for all the pranks and for making you angry. I love you, and hope you will forgive me." Beth looked across the table at her little brother as he nodded and grinned at her. She gave him a thumbs up.

Rivka looked at LJ, "Please forgive me, LJ. I love you." LJ gave his sister a thumbs up and grinned.

Anthony and Beth cleared the dessert dishes and then returned to the table as each person opened and read their letters from the others. Ziva and Tony both wiped a few tears from their eyes as they read. Lots of hugs were exchanged and each one agreed that they would always have each other's six. Nothing beat the bond of family.


End file.
